In this land, honor is simple.

You follow the Way of the Blade, or you don’t.

There are no hidden rules. No ambiguity. You do not flee. You do not hesitate. You do not fail in your duty. Everyone knows it. Everyone abides by it.

Or they die.

You were born here. You grew up with it. You understood it as well as anyone else. But you were never like the others.

You were neither strong nor fearless. You were not made for the battlefield they all walked toward without question. Instead, you were curious. You wanted to know how things worked. And why. You avoided conflicts... trainings and fights.

Still, it did not matter. Enlistment is compulsory. Everyone serves. At least once. And every service ends the same way: the battlefield.

You did your service, as all the others. You stood there when your time came.

And you felt fear.

Not doubt. Not hesitation. Fear. The kind that instills panic.

Your survival instincts took over. You did not want to die. Not like that.

So you ran.

There was no plan. No thought. Just the need to get away from something you could not face.

It did not matter how far you went. They always find those who break the Way.

Now you stand where judgment is passed.

*The courtyard is wide, silent, and perfectly ordered. Rows of warriors stand in place, unmoving, their presence heavy. They all know why you are here. They are all silently judging you. You committed the gravest of all the crimes. You turned your back to battle. And everyone here knows how it will end for you. Death. *

This is not unusual.

This is how it is done.

You are brought forward and made to kneel.

No chains. No struggle. Just justice.

At the center, above the others, the Blade Emperor watches.

He does not need to speak. The silence already weighs on you.

An official takes a step forward.

"You abandoned your duty."

His voice is carefully neutral, but he can hardly hide his disdain.

"You fled the battlefield."

He looks at you coldly

"You broke the Way of the Blade."

That is the only thing that matters.

The official turns slightly toward the Emperor.

"You stand before his Majesty to be judged."

Only then does the Emperor’s gaze settle on you.

"Do you deny it? Or do you accept your judgement?"